Mechanical horn.



0. O. ARLITZ. MECHANICAL HORN. APPLICATION runn mm: 4-, 1910.

979,246. Patented Dec. 20; 1910 ace, Inventor:

Wig 2M v JAAIQI.

2 5 of the diaphragm without likelihood of inma MME F E oscan c. ARLITZ, on NEW YORK, a. Y.

MECHANICAL. HORN.

.chanical Horns, of which the following is 5 a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form 410 of art thereof.

My invention relates to mechanical horns more articularly to a type thereof embodying't erein a mechanica ly flexed dia- P l The main ob ect of my invention 1s to pro- Y v'ide'a-horn' of this character, the arrangeinent ofwhich will be such'as to permit .pim licity- .and compactness ofstructure whil e 'insuring"'the production of sound ,20 waves'in 'vol'ume and intensity sufiicient to "adapt-the device to signal purposes.

' A-furtherobject of the invention is to rovideah'ornfof this character wherein the hammer member will cause a rapid flexu're terferin .with the reflex action thereof.

A stil further object is to provide a horn ofthis character wherein the hammer memher while having a shar impact with a.,co-

operating impact mem er carried by the diaphragm, will be capable of yielding un-. der the reflex action 0 the diaphragm in a manner to avoid material interference with the. vibrations thereof.

85. Astill further object is to provhle in a horn of this character a hammcrniember adapted to impart with each rotation thereof a series of vibrations to the diaphragm,-

- irrespective of 'tie position of said dia- 40 'phragm in its vibratory movement.

. A stilliurther object is to provide a device of this character embodying therein a series o'f 'ir npact members carried by the diaphra "and a series of hammers adapted to fi the diaphragm. by engagement with said impact members, to increase the volume of the resultant sound waves, the construction of the hammers being such that they will not interfere with the reflex action 60 of the diaphragm.

- A still further object is to provide a horn of this character embodying therein a sue: 'cession of impact members, and a hammer adapted tosuccessively engage said members Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 20, 1910, Application tiled June 4, 1910. Serial No. 564,998.

to impart a series of rapid vibrations to the diaphragm, wherein the force resulting from each impact will be exerted upon the diaphragm at a substantially central point -so as to secure the maximum flexure thereof with each impact.

A still further object is to provide in ahorn of this character, a diaphragmtcarrying a plurality of impact members arranged concentrically about the axis thereof and adapted to impart the force of the impact from the hammer member directly to the center of the diaphragm, a hammer mechanism adapted to simultaneously impart a blow.to impact members arranged diametrically opposite each other so as to equalize the force of the blow upon opposite sides of the axisof the "diaphragm and thus avoid the development of an unbalanced condition in the diaphragm or the im act member carried thereby. 'And a still rther object is to provide a horn of this character which may be inexpensively produced.

The invention consists primarily in. a mechanical horn embodying therein a flexible diaphragm having an impact member thereon and a rotary member car ing a hammer head adapted. to engage sai impact member, said head being capable of movement axially of said diaphragm whereby interference between the diaphragm and the hammer is avoided; and in such other novel features of construction and combination of parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended;

Referring to the drawingsz-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a horn embodyingmy' invention, the diaphragm .casing being broken away to disclose the construction and arrangement of the operative mechanism-within same; Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the casing upon the line 22 of Fi 1, and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ammer mechanism upon a larger scale.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several vi ws. v I

In the embodiment of my inventionshown in the drawings, I have shown at a a hollow casing supporting the diaphragm which extends across and closes the forward portion thereof, the rear portion of this casing being, as shown, closed to insure the presence of an the direction of the projection of sound Waves to the front of the casing.

The diaphragm is held between the'rings a and a adapted to inc-lose the-edges there- 5 of, the manner-of attachment of the diaphragm being immaterial to this invention,

' any well known and approved practice be-.

ing suitable for this purpose. v

The forward end of the casing a, ispro- 10 vided with a closure 1)- having a reduced soundopenmg therein indicated at c which sound opening is in communication with an amplifier (1 which may be of any well known or desired type. Secured 1n the-casing a is l5anielectric 'inotor e of. any desired or ap V proved construction, the casing a'having smallopenings therethrough, through which the wires (fie ass to said motor. The diation which relates more particularly-to the constructionand arrangement of the diaphragm, and of the hammer flexing same.

The center of the diaphragm) is also in sub- 30 stantialfalineme'nt with the sound outlet ,opening communicating with theamplifier to secure'the greatest volume of'sound waves Mounted uponthe shaft-of the motor a is a hammer member ada ted to impart the 5 desired vibrations to theiahhragm f-which member consistsof a (plurality of laterally extended'arinsf having raised-bosses g at the ends. thereb -"which bosses areat equal radial distances fi'om 'thesaid shaft.- Mount- 9 ed'in the-recesses in tliebosses g are a plu- 'ralit y of. hammer heads it normally projected ;beyond ;said bosses by. springs '2' each said hammerheadbeing provided with'ashanl't iextending through a reduced 'openin at the ',rel l bfffsaidbosses and upset, or ot erwise' to retainsame upon the arms. g.

eioperative-faces ofthe heads h are semispherical to cause their-rotation to impart a irectthrust to l-the diaphragm irrespective of the diaphragm.

having the desired volume and capability of penetration and atthe same time eliminate any and all necessity for any reiuljuslment of the. device tocompensa-te for wear or any loss of elasticity in the diaphragm itself.

' "lhepointof impact of the l1amnn-r \vith the diaphragm being necessarily distant from the axis thereof, it is necessary to provide an impact member for the diaphragm, which, to avoid the limitation of the flexure thereof under the hammerfwill, while receiving the impact radially from the axis.-

flex the diaphragm axiallythereofthus securing the advantage of a maximum tlexure The im-pact member carried'by the dinphragm consists of a circular metallic plate j havingashouldered stem 1;, the shoulder Z of which stem, is ada ted to pngage the diaphragm upon one side thereof, the reduced end m of sa-idstem being riveted upon the other side of said diaphragm so as to hold the diaphragm tightly between the shoulder and the upset portion of the stem.

The plate 7' is spaced away from-thediaphragm so as'n'ot to interfere with the flex-,

'ure thereoffthe reduced area of the; upset portion indicate'diat m, p'jennitti-n' [the de sired quantity of ficxu're' and re exureof the diaphragm- The plate is provided with if lura'lityiof mbutments "n 'ad acent to thee gegithereof,

ada' ted to be. engaged bythe hamnier heads h e top'surfaces of said abutments being h t rdunded as shown-to facilitate thejoperation preferably arranged diametrically opposite each other to insuresimultaneous impacts upon opposite sidesof the axis of the diaphragmf. L Y The plate j is of metah-ireferably mal' leable iron, to secure. the esired rigidity, durability, and facility of assembling. The diaphragm fis a metalliediaphragmand may bemade 0f. any desiredor' approved material so long as it. 'p'os'se'ssestheessential characteristic of strength to ivithstand" thestresses ofnse. Theop'erationof the hereindescribed mechanical horn issubstantiall- I as followsw a ioiof the said hammer. Theabutments' a are;

assume while permittingthe heads to be 55 'heads to -recede with the dia hragm'in ease of any position which the ha'mm'er head may I r When it is desired to soon iusi'ghal -it 1s thrust rearwardlyin case of the engagement merely necessar to close the circu tthrough th re ith of th diaphr m ts efl the virese a hu's startlng. t action. This ca ability of hammer aus1 g.th'e ar s 9 pldly time about ""df a loss of synthetic operationofth se parts-- v v of the rounded hammerheadsxlav'ith each ,isof primary importance; as'itplaces no an axis concentric-with the iiiiscbf the dia- 12tlimitation upon the stru-tu mof the'hammer orthe vibration of the diaphragm there- 39 under." This construction permits a sutli- 'ciei tly'high frequency of the fiexure of the diaphragm 'to' seeure' a sufiicient displacemiltof the aircolumn in advance of the diaphra vtogp roduce sound waves and of a :6 5 lengtii f arifl irequency' todevelopa signal rotation thereof, engage,.fin sequence, the abutments nupon the plate jfthq. curvature of the-engagin surfaces upon the'jsaid hammer heads anf the 's'aid abutm'ents causing the diaphragmto flex sufficiently to develop sound waves forwardly thereof, 'thefdegree of the flexure varying witlrthe'velocitv of the'said arms. This will be governed, toa large extent, bythe resistance ofieredaiiyy the abutments n to the hzl'inmer heads stresses upon the hammer heads belngii'h;

stantially perpendicular to" their. shanks Saldham departed. from while retaining all of the there will be no tendency to cause gierheads to recede toward theirsupporting osses, thus causing the full force '0 the'impact to be directly upon the abutments, n.

As thediaphragmkfvihrates, the resistance offered to the -'haniiner" heads will be minimized by theresiduary,-vibratio1is of said diaphragm 7 thus aidingand increasing the flexure of-said diaphragmwith a resultant increasing volume of sound. If the diaphragm should reflex at the moment of impact between the opposite abut-ments' n and the hammer heads It, the said abutments would carry the hammer heads with them, said heads receding with the diaphragm, against the tension of their springs 2', thus not only avoiding any material interference with the vibrations of the diaphragm by the hammer heads, but automatically positioning these hammer heads so as to cause the desired impact irrespective of the position of the diaphragm during the vibratory movement thereof. It the hammer heads have been forced back, as described, through the reflex action of the diaphragm, the springs 47 controlling the said heads will thrust them forwardly again with the flex-- ure of the diaphragm so that these'heads will automatically assume a position relative to the diaphragm to maintain a substantially constant relation thereto as to the force of the impact between the heads and the abutment carried by the diaphragm.

' By reason of the arrangement of the plate 7', this plate will not interfere with the movements of the diaphragm in any way, and the thrust upon said plate by the hammers /1 will result in a flexing force applied to the diaphragm axially thereof so as to secure the maximum displacement of said diaphragm consistent with the movement of the impact member carried centrally thereof.

The series of impacts between the hammers 71 and the abutments 91, with each rotation of the former, results in the diaphragm reaching the maximum number of vibrations within. the shortest space of time, thus securing vibrations of'the desired frequency practically instantly upon the closing of the circuit controlling motor, or the application of the other power, driving said hammers. I am award that it is old in the arts to "produce sounds for signaling purposes by mechanically vibrating a metallic diaphragm, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as claiming this broadly. I believe it to be broadly new, however, to provide a plurality of contacts disposed radially about the axis of the diaphragm and an impact or hammer member adapted to revolve diaphragm, adapted to engage the said aliutments successively, and I intend to claim such broadly.

tion shown inthe drawing may readily be essential characteristics of my invention, and, therefore, I do not intend to limit myself to the precise details shown in the draw- III'J'S.

iiaving described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is 1. A mechanical horn embodying therein a t lgxible diaphragm, a hammer member adapted to engage and flex said diaphragm, endmealis imparting a rotary movement to fsaid hammer on a plane parallehto said diaphragm, said hammer being capable of movement under a force exerted axially of said diaphragm, whereby the rotation of said h.mmer will flex said diaphragm, but the reflex action of said diaphragm will cause said hammer to recede with the diaphragm.

2. A mechanical horn embodying therein a-tlexible diaphragm carrying an impact member and a rotary .member carrying a hammer head adapted to engage said impact member and flex said diaphragm, said .head being capable of movement axially of said diaphragm whereby interference between the diaphragm and the hammer is avoided.

3. A mechanical horn embodying therein a flexible diaphragm carrying a plurality of and carried by said diaphragm and a rotary membercarrying a hammer head adapted to successively engage saidimpact members and flex said diaphragm, said heads being capable of movement axially of said diaphragm whereby interference between the diaphragm and the hammer is avoided.

at; A mechanical horn embodying therein a flexible diaphragm, a-plate carried by said diaphragm centrally thereof, spaced away therefrom, and movable therewith, said plate having a plurality of impact members arranged in a circle concentric with the axis of said diaphragm, and a rotary member ihdapted to engage said impact members sucwessively. y

5. A mechanical horn embodying therein a flexible diaphragm, a plate carried by said diaphragm centrally thereof, spaced" away therefrom, and movable therewith, said arranged in a circle concentric with the axis carrying a hammer head adapted to engage said impactmembers successively and flex said diaphragm through said plate, said f head being capable of movementaxially of said plate to avoid interference between the 55 about an axis aiined with the axis of said 1 diaphragm and the hammer mechanism.

impact members concentric with the axis ofoffsa id diaphragm, and a rotary member -It is apparent that the details of construci plate having a plurality of impact members hannner.

spring sustained hammer head carried there by, said head being normally projected axially of and toward said diaphragm by said spriiry, whereby said diaphragm will be iieXcd by the "rotary or side impact of said head, and said diaphragm it it engage said head upon its reflex action, will overcome said spring and cause said head to re cede with aid liaphragm to avoid interference betweeh the diaphragm and the 7. A mechanical horn embodying therein a flexible diaphragm, a plate carried by said diaphragm centrallythereof, spaced away therefrom, and movable therewith, said plate having a plurality of impact members arranged diametrically.opposite each other in a circle concentric withthe axis of said diaphragm and a rotary member having oppositely disposed hammer heads adapted to simultaneously engage diametrically opposite impact members successively and flex said diaphragm through said plate, each of said heads being capable o'fimoveinent ally of said plate to avoid interference between the diaphragm and the hammer mechanism. v

8. A mechanical horn embodying therein 71-flt3Xll)l0 diaphragm, a plate carried by said diaphragm, centrally thereof, spaced away.

therefrom, and movable therewith, said "plate having a plurality of impact members arranged diametrically opposite each other in acircle crmcentric with the anus oi said diaphragm and a rotary member haying oppositely disposed spring" sustained hammer heads adapted to simultaneously engage diametrically opposite impact members successively and flex said diaphra g m through sald plate, said heads being normally projected by their springs axially of and toward said diaphragm whereby said diaphragin will be flexed by the rotary or side impact of said heads, and said impact members if they en- .gage sald heads upon the reflex action of said diaphragm will overcome said spring and causesaidiieads to recede with said diaphragm. to avoid interference between the diaphragm and the hammer.

A mechanical horn embodying therein a flexible diaphragm, a plate carriedby saiddihphragm centrally thereof, spaced away therefrom, and movable therewith, said plate having a plurality of gradated impact members arranged diametrically oppo site each other in a circle concentric with thewaxis of said diaphragm and a rotag-y posite impact memberssuccessively and flexsaid diaphragm through.sa id plate, said heads being: normally projected by their springs axially of and toward said diaphragm whereby said diaphragm will be ,Ilexed by the rotary or side impact of said heads, and said impact members if they en gage said heads upon the reflex ac tion of said d aphragm. will overcome -sa1d s ring and cause said heads to recede with sai diaphragin to avoid interference between the diaphragm and the 'hammer.

10. In a mechanical born, the combination with a casing and means engaging the edges of and sustaining a diaphragm within said casing. of a dlaphragm, an impact member carried bysaid diaphragm, a rotary member carrying a hammer head adapted to engage said impact member and flex said diaphragm, said head being capable of movement axially of said diaphragm whereby interlbrence between the diaphragm and the hammer is avoided, and means whereby said rotary member is actuated, said memher, said hammer and said actuating means being arranged in said casing-upon one side of said diaphragm, whereby a Volume of inert air is provided, said casing upon the opposite side of said diaphragm being provided with a sound outlet opening, and an amplifier opening.

11. In a mechanical horn, the combination with a 'asing, and means engagingthe edges of and sustaining a dia ihragm Within .-'ommunic ating with said outlet said casing, of a diaphragm, said casinghayin'g a sound outlet upon one side of said diaphragm and being lnclosed on the other side of said diaphragm to form a cham-- ber containing an inert body of air, a motor the shaft of which is in alinement with the axis of said diaphragm,',a plate carried-by said diaph agm' centrally thereof,

spaced away therefrom and movable there-- with, said plate having a pluralityiof impact members arranged in a circle concentric with the axis of said diaphragm'and said motor shaft, radially projected arms carried by said sl1alt,'spring sustained hammer heads carried by said arms and adapted to be projected by their springs int-o en-- gagement with said impact members Whereby sa d diaphragm will be flexed by the engagement of said hammer heads with said mpact members successively, said motor and said hammer mechanism being mounted Wphm said mclosed chamber and an amplifier commumcatmg.with said sound out;

let opening in said casing.

- In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature, this 20th day of May, 1910, iii the presence of two witnesses.

OSCAR o, AnLirz.

Witnesses: Orro Mona,

- c F. T. Wanrwonrn. 

